The Whipping Boy
by beckybrit
Summary: Edward and Seth are captured by the Volturi, but the experience brings them together in a way E never expected. This is ultimately a love story albeit a dark one. WARNINGS: contains graphic torture and some elements of sexual abuse. AU.


**Written for Twikinkfest. The prompt is copied at the end because as usual, it's full of spoilers. But please heed the warnings below. This fic was written as a collaboration with Fr333bird so is also posted on her profile. If you know our writing can you guess who wrote which POV? You can find out in the A/N at the bottom.**

**WARNINGS: Torture, graphic descriptions of violence. Some elements of sexual abuse/non-con although this is not a big part of the fic.**

**Thanks to Mamdi for betaing and Miss Dare for pre-reading various part of this and encouraging us along the way! And thanks to the prompter for the inspiration. It's just coincidence that the last two prompts I've written have been this dark, but I hope you enjoy it.**

**The Whipping Boy**

**Edward**

As the whip cuts through skin and muscle, Seth's groans echo from the unforgiving stone that surrounds us. The sound of his pain is trapped within these ancient walls, deep in the bowels of Volterra.

I don't want to watch, but I can't look away. I feel that I owe it to Seth to witness what they're doing to him. I'm the one who has the information that they want. They want to know how to find my daughter.

Renesmee is the only thing that's kept me from seeking an end to my existence since Bella was taken from me in our first battle with the Volturi. When I saw her die at Jane and Alec's hands after she took down Aro, it was as though my heart had been cut out. But Renesmee is a part of Bella, the living proof of our love. She alone gave me a reason to carry on. Protecting her is all that matters to me now. She has been in hiding with Jacob since our first battle with the Volturi, and I am the only one in the world who knows their location.

I watch helplessly as Marcus brings the whip viciously down on Seth's naked, shackled body. "Tell us where she is Edward, and I will stop torturing your _pet_." His voice is cold and devoid of emotion.

Seth twists and whines as the punishingly tight cuffs cut into his wrists and ankles. The steel collar around his neck glints in the torchlight. I marvel at his self-control – the urge to shift must be overwhelming. But he knows that if he shifts, he will die. In his wolf form the collar would all but sever his head in an instant.

Flanked by Jane and Alec, I know that there is nothing I can do to help my friend. I hear his thoughts in the pauses between his cries of pain.

_Don't tell them, Edward. Don't tell the fuckers anything. I can take this... I'll be okay. The others will come for us soon. Don't tell them._

If I could shed tears they'd be pouring down my face. I feel every slice of the whip as though it's on my own body. I wish I could take his pain away.

My friendship with Seth is unusual but one that I value highly. When Bella died and Jake went into hiding with Renesmee, Seth took to following me around. Even more than my family, he ended up taking responsibility for me – making me hunt when I got hungry, forcing me to run with him so that I could lose myself in the speed of our movement and forget for just a little while about everything that I had lost. He wheedled his way into my affections without me noticing, I took his presence for granted.

It took Marcus and his gift for reading the bonds between people to make me realize just how much Seth matters to me. When Seth and I were captured and brought to Volterra they took us straight to Marcus. He narrowed his eyes and looked from me to Seth and back again and threw his head back and laughed, a humorless sound that made my skin crawl.

"Edward," he raised his eyebrows. "You seem to have acquired a pet. How adorable. I didn't know it was possible for our kind to feel so fondly about a _dog_." His voice dripped with disgust as his nose wrinkled, taking in Seth's distinctive scent. He turned to Seth who met his gaze, every muscle in his body vibrating with tension. "Well, well..." Marcus smiled serenely. "Quite the devoted puppy, aren't you, boy? How interesting."

And now, watching Seth suffer because of me, suffering to protect my daughter, I realize exactly how much he means to me. I clench my fists so hard that it feels as though they could shatter, and grit my teeth to stop myself from weakening. The stone chamber is filled with the hot, iron scent of Seth's blood. It runs, slow and sticky, from the countless parallel lines cut into the flesh of his back.

Marcus pauses in the beating and stoops over Seth's kneeling body. He reaches with a pale finger to touch a rivulet of crimson as it trickles slowly toward the cleft of Seth's buttocks. He raises it to his nose and winces in disgust. Fortunately for Seth, shifter blood is unpalatable to our kind. The vampire lowers his hand again and caresses the curve of Seth's ass, his fingers dipping impudently into the crack. Seth shudders visibly in response.

"Quite beautiful," he muses, regret in his voice. "Such a shame about the smell. Perhaps one could get used to it eventually though, Edward?"

I grind my teeth together, refusing to give Marcus the satisfaction of reacting. I want to tear him limb from limb, but the twins are there and I know that Jane is just waiting for a chance to incapacitate me with her gift. She would have me writhing on the floor before I could lay a hand on Marcus.

**Seth**

I can tell that I'm back in our cell from the musky, damp, smell emanating from the thick walls and the unmistakable scent of Edward in the air. There are faint traces of Marcus's guards, but nothing like in the torture chamber. The stench of them is so strong in there that it almost made me gag.

My mind is still foggy, and since I have no recollection of getting back here, I'm guessing that I passed out. Maybe it's for the best. The thought that I wasn't strong enough to take the pain makes me feel uncomfortably weak, but I was far too close to phasing this time. It took all my concentration to rein in the urge, especially when the creepy fucker touched me.

I can take the whip on my skin. It hurts like hell but I can handle it because I know my body will heal itself. Eventually.

What I can't stomach is his flesh on mine. When he ran his fingers over my ass I wanted to kill him; rip him apart and burn the pieces. The wolf in me raged under the surface, itching to get out and do what I was born to do, even though I knew that phasing would kill me. The only thing that stopped me giving in and ending this was Edward.

His voice, barely a whisper in my pounding head, had kept me alive.

"_Don't__do__it,__Seth,__"_ he'd whispered. And even though I couldn't see him, I could feel his eyes on me. _"__It'll__kill__you.__Please__just__hang__on__a__little__longer.__I__need__you.__" _

Edward needed me.

That had been the one thing that helped me to resist my nature and remain in my human form.

I feel his cool hand gently run through my hair, before dropping down and lightly stroking my cheek. I know from his actions that he's just read my thoughts.

I don't care; he knows that I'll always be there for him, no matter what. The last two years have been so hard, for me as well as Edward. He's alone because of a cruel twist of fate, and I'm the only unattached member of my pack – all the rest having imprinted and found their soul mates. I have my theories about why it hasn't happened for me and so do the others. But they're bound by alpha command not to talk about it, at my request.

Edward and I spend a lot of our time together, being the only two without mates. It's easier for both of us not to have to be around the others all of the time. I know he suspects that I'm keeping something from him, and he's right. I've become adept at shielding certain thoughts from him; but I have a secret I need to keep for both our sakes.

I feel him sigh, his cold breath washing over my shoulder and cooling my overheated skin. I know he hates that I'm hiding something from him, but I don't know what else to do.

As the haze finally begins to lift and my mind clears, I'm aware that I'm slumped, half-sitting, half-lying. And my back is up against something very hard, very cold and very _bare_.

_Edward._

_And from the feel of him, he appears to be shirtless._

I stop my errant thoughts in their tracks and shift slightly, wincing as pain shoots across my body, forcing me to gasp at the shock.

"_Fuck!__"_ I hiss, immediately stilling my movements.

"Lie back against me, Seth. The cold will help you heal quicker." His voice is tired and full of regret. I know how hard it must be for him to watch what they do to me and be unable to do anything to stop it. I do as he suggests and gingerly lie back, groaning as I feel his cool chest soothe my aching skin.

"It _is_ hard," he answers my thoughts, placing his hand on my wrists where the metal cuffs have cut into me. It feels so good and I relax against him even more. "I want to kill each and every one of them for what they've done to you, and I will. _We_will." I nod in agreement, not doubting him for a second.

I pull at my cuffs. Even with my accelerated healing and his cooling touch, they're still sore and irritated. "Take them off, please?" I beg, tugging at them some more.

"You know I can't."

"Yeah," I sigh and close my eyes in resignation. "I know." He'd managed to snap my cuffs off the first night we were held here. When they came for us the next day, we tried to escape but of course Jane stopped us in our tracks. Marcus threatened to kill me if we tried to remove the cuffs again, so I've been forced to keep them on ever since. We both need to stay alive; our friends and family will come for us, we just have to hang on long enough for them to get here.

He moves his hand up my arm, gently pressing it on any bruises or cuts that he finds. His touch is soft but firm, his other arm wrapped around my waist, securing me in place.

"It's nice to be able to take care of _you_ for a change." His mouth is right next to my ear. "You've done so much for me, Seth, I'm glad I can finally return the favor. I just wish it was under different circumstances."

His cool breath washes over my skin and I shiver just a little. My thoughts are heading towards dangerous territory and it takes all of my strength to steer them away. My head flops back onto his shoulder and I sigh. I'm still so very tired. My body has so much work to do to heal itself, there's not much left for anything else.

"Sleep, Seth."

My eyes drift closed as Edward's beautiful, soft voice lulls me to sleep. I smile to myself as his arm holds me a little tighter, pulling me back into his body. Despite the circumstances, there's no place else I'd rather be.

As I fall back into unconsciousness, I vaguely register a sharp intake of breath before everything goes black.

**Edward**

As Seth loses consciousness again his body goes limp in my arms. But his last thoughts are crystal clear, unguarded and they take me by surprise.

_I had no idea. _

I knew that he cared about me as a friend, but this is something that goes much deeper.

_How has he managed to keep this from me for so long?_

I'm filled with a sudden rush of tenderness for the man in my arms. His weight is nothing to me and the feeling of his hot body in my arms is strangely comforting. The touch of skin on skin is unfamiliar and strange to me but I welcome it. It's been a long time since I've held anyone other than my daughter; I hadn't realized how much I missed it.

I tighten my arms around Seth and breathe in his familiar musky scent, noting with amusement that I no longer find it remotely unpleasant. Familiarity has overridden my instincts and my lips quirk as I admit to myself that I even _like_ the warm dog-like smell of my friend now. I recall Marcus's distaste for Seth's scent and am fiercely glad that it protected Seth from being used by Marcus, humiliated even more than he already has been.

I lower my head and rest my cheek on Seth's warm shoulder. I listen to the steady beat of his heart and feel the pulse of blood beneath his skin as I close my eyes and hope. Hope that my family and his pack can get to us in time to save us. I'm not sure how much more of this Seth will be able to stand.

Several hours pass as I sit like a statue with Seth lying between my thighs, resting back against my body. He's peaceful in my arms and I'm careful not to disturb him, knowing that sleep will give his body a chance to heal.

Eventually I feel him stir and he sighs as he wakes. I key into his thoughts and register his sudden surprise and pleasure to find that he's still in my arms. I don't examine this thought too closely. I just accept it and notice that it makes me smile.

"How are you feeling?" I ask.

"Okay… a lot better." His voice is rough with sleep.

"Let me see."

I gently ease him forward so that I can examine his back. He's stuck to my chest with dried blood, but as I run careful fingers over his back I can feel that the cuts on his back have closed and healed. The bruising and swelling has also diminished.

"Stay there."

I slide out carefully from behind him and fetch the bucket of drinking water that they've left out for him. As he dips his hand in and drinks thirstily, I sit back behind him again. I tear the sleeve off my shirt and reach around him to dip it in the water. I clean away the dried blood as gently and carefully as I can. The barely-healed stripes on his back make my mouth bitter with the need for revenge.

Once I've finished I pull him back against me again and wrap my arms around him. He doesn't resist, but I feel his body flush with heat. His thoughts are muddled and panicky, I know that he's trying to hide them from me so I respect his privacy and try not to listen. But I realize that he's embarrassed by his nakedness. I'm confused because I've seen him naked hundreds of times when he's shifted around me, and he's never been self-conscious before.

I don't say anything, but I grab my ruined shirt with one hand and place it over his lap. He speaks to me through his thoughts deliberately then.

_Thank you._

And then I catch a scent that's unmistakable.

Arousal.

I inhale deeply and the salty, musky scent of desire rises off him in a wave that causes my mouth to flood with venom and I feel my own body react to it with shocking suddenness. My cock is hard in an instant, straining against my clothing. Seth must be able to feel it, how could he not? The position that we're in leaves no space between our bodies.

I'm frozen – bewildered. I never thought that I found my own sex attractive. Since Bella I haven't thought about sex at all. Yet my body responds to the scent of Seth's arousal in a visceral way that I have absolutely no control over. His flushed skin feels searing hot against my body and my skin tingles everywhere that we touch.

I let out the air that I've been holding and he shivers against me as my cool breath lifts the hairs at the nape of his neck. My lips are so close to his skin. I need to taste him.

"Seth," I whisper. And I dip my head and brush my lips against his shoulder, the lightest of touches.

As my lips graze his skin he whimpers and twists around in my arms. At first I think he's trying to get away, but then he's kneeling in front of me and his eyes are huge and dark in the dim half-light of the cell. And in that moment all the barriers that he's set up to protect his thoughts come crashing down and I finally realize exactly what Seth feels for me. The intensity of his devotion is dazzling and I marvel again that he's managed to keep this hidden for so long.

Slowly, his hands trembling, he reaches for me and slides his hands into my hair as he leans in. I feel his breath, hot on my lips and his mouth brushes mine.

The sound of footsteps outside our cell makes us jerk apart and I see fear flash in Seth's eyes as we hear the lock being turned. His body is suddenly straining with tension and I know he's fighting the instinct to phase.

"Stay calm," I whisper.

_I__don__'__t__know__if__I__can__do__this,__Edward_. His voice in my head is terrified. _Not__again._

"Please, Seth," I beg him, clutching his hand and squeezing. "I don't want to lose you too."

_I__'__ll__try._Our eyes lock as his fingers slip out of my grasp.

**Seth**

The door opens quickly and Felix marches in, hauling me roughly to my feet. With Jane standing close behind him, he knows as well as I do that there's no need to drag me, it's not like I'm going to resist. He just does it because he can.

I cast a sideways glance at Edward and catch his eye before Felix pulls me through the door. It's different now; the way he looks at me has changed.

_Edward knows my secret._

I didn't ever intend for this to happen, for him to find out how I feel about him. But after hiding it for so long it's like a weight has been lifted. I can finally let my thoughts run free, not having to constantly hide the fact that I'm in love with him.

I hear his step falter slightly behind me as he hears my thoughts and turn back to look at him. We haven't had a chance to talk, but from what happened in our cell, I can't help but hope that he might feel something for me too.

I see the corner of his mouth lift slightly, and his gaze bores into mine. I've never envied his ability before, but at this moment I fucking wish I could read _his_ mind. He grins a little then but his smile disappears all too soon as we reach our destination.

Marcus stands in the center of the room, waiting, a smug smile plastered on his pale face. "Ah, Seth. All healed nicely I see." He walks towards me, circling around, inspecting my body. He pauses behind me and leans in to whisper in my ear. "That just won't do." He steps backs and addresses two of his guards. "Chain him to the wall."

Felix moves back to join Marcus and Jane, watching as I'm dragged over to the stone wall. The cuffs around my hands are attached to chains fixed to the bricks so that my arms are stretched high above my head. I can't see what's happening behind me, but I hear Edward's low curse seconds before I hear the familiar sound of the whip sailing through the air.

I brace myself for the pain, but it doesn't help. The end of the whip flicks across my back and I grit my teeth as I feel my skin ripped open once more. It lands on me again and again, all the while Marcus remains silent, not even bothering to ask Edward any questions.

My head starts to sag under the pain and I struggle not to slump against the wall. After what seems like forever, Marcus finally give the signal for it to stop. I take the opportunity to catch my breath, trying to ignore the burning pain because I know this is just the beginning.

"Good." Marcus says, rubbing his hands together. "Now we're back to where we were yesterday. Damn shape-shifters and their rapid healing."

He orders his guards to turn me around and they quickly unhook me. I wince as they push me up against the wall and my raw back scrapes along the bricks. My eyes water at the pain, I try to blink away the tears but they fall relentlessly down my cheeks.

_It fucking hurts._

Edward clenches his fists as he hears me; I try to block my thoughts. I don't want him doing anything stupid because of me. But the effort is too much and I just can't manage it. He takes a step towards me and I scream _"__No!__"_ at him in my head. He ignores me and moves closer.

"Oh, please do." Jane says, smirking over at Edward. "I'd like nothing more than to cause _you_ some pain, just like I did to your wife." They stare at each other for a moment. I can almost feel the hate rolling off him and I pray that he doesn't move any closer.

Thankfully he comes to his senses and reluctantly steps back to his place by the door, fists still tightly clenched.

"Hit him." Marcus's voice grabs my attention and I hardly have time to register his command before Felix moves forward and punches me in the face, hard. My lip tears as my head snaps to the side, blood spraying over the brickwork next to me. It's a good thing they don't find my blood appealing or I'd probably be dead right about now.

"Where is she Edward?" Marcus hisses, moving to stand directly in front of him.

Edward says nothing, not even acknowledging the question.

"Again."

Felix hits me from the other side this time. White hot pain shoots through the side of my face as I feel my cheek split open. I can't help but groan, and I hear Felix laugh as he walks away.

Well?" Asks Marcus. "Anything to say?"

_Don't tell him a fucking thing! _

"No." Edward replies, looking me in the eye. I can see the pain there as he takes in my battered body.

Marcus turns abruptly away from him and stalks towards me, the look on his face makes my skin crawl. His gaze sweeps over me from head to toe, lingering between my legs. I shudder under his scrutiny and snarl as he reaches out to touch me. He runs his finger slowly down the length of my cock as it hangs limp against my thigh, before wrapping his cold hand around it and stroking me firmly. I close my eyes tight, trying to imagine I'm anywhere else but here. I want to yell and scream but I bite my tongue, refusing to give him the satisfaction of reacting.

"Get the fuck away from him." Edward hisses.

Marcus raises an eyebrow and looks closely between the two of us. I tense as I see the realization dawn on his face. He knows that something is different. His fingers slip from my cock and he clasps his hands together. "I see things have changed slightly since our last meeting." He grins as he continues to look from me to Edward and back again. "Oh, this is priceless." He turns to address the rest of the vampires in the room.

"It appears that our guests are in love."

"The vampire and the shifter?" Felix asks, laughing loudly.

"How disgusting," Jane whispers, wrinkling her nose incredulously.

Marcus moves closer to me, a wicked glint in his eye. I tense as he leans forward and runs his nose down the side of my throat. He flinches slightly but doesn't move back. I feel his cold breath on my skin and I feel sick. "I think I could ignore the smell, just this once." He pushes my head roughly to the side, exposing my neck above the cuff.

"Have you tasted him yet, Edward?" Marcus asks as he pauses with his mouth almost touching my skin. "Or will I be the first?" I feel his tongue dart out to taste me, and panic surges through me as his teeth brush my skin. My fists open and close and I suck in deep lungfuls of air, willing myself to calm down. I need to shift, I want to shift and it takes all my concentration to rein it in.

"No!" Edward screams and runs towards me. I watch in horror as Jane smiles sweetly and Edward falls to the floor, screaming in agony.

"Edward!" I pull at my chains, frantic to get to him.

"Enough." Marcus commands and Jane stops her attack.

I watch helplessly as Edward lies on the floor, unmoving. After what seems an eternity he starts to come around and I breathe a sigh of relief. If anything happened to Edward, I'd shift in a second and end it all.

"I'll ask you one last time Edward and then I'm afraid Seth is really going to get hurt." Marcus and the guards grin, as if everything before now has just been child's play.

Edward looks up at me, his eyes full of guilt and sorrow. "I'm sorry," he mouths.

"_It's__ok,__Edward.__" _I answer him, silently. _"__You__can't__tell__them.__No__matter__what__they__do__to__me.__"_

I grip the chains tightly in my fists, preparing myself for whatever is coming next.

"So be it." Marcus says and nods for Felix to carry on. He hits me in the side as he passes and the unmistakable sound of cracking bone fills the room. I cry out at the pain, no longer caring about being quiet.

I cringe as Felix picks up the whip again, snapping it out across my chest and opening up an ugly red gash across my skin. He hits me again and again, each lash getting progressively lower.

I swallow thickly as I realize where he's heading.

"_Oh__fuck...oh__fuck...__" _I shout the words in my head, my eyes snapping to Edward's. I see my fear matched in his eyes and the panic returns, coursing through my body at an alarming rate.

The whip strikes across my hip bone, the tail barely skimming the top of the hairs there.

"_Edward ... oh fuck... I can't hold it... I can't..."_

I feel my spine ripple, my skin tingling and pulling taut as my body prepares to change. I desperately fight the urge to phase, clenching my fists and my jaw against the surges of power flowing through me. My muscles bunch, the cuffs cutting into me everywhere as I struggle not to give in to my base nature.

"Hold on Seth...please. Just hold on…" I hear Edward's pleading voice, but he sounds so far away. The roaring in my ears is getting worse as I slowly lose my tenuous hold over my body.

I vaguely register the crack of the whip, but the pain that follows is excruciating as it cuts a deep line across my thigh and the base of my cock. I gasp at the shock, my breath catching in my throat as I struggle to breathe through the pain. My visions swims, I barely feel the chains slip through my grasp as my body slumps and I fall into unconsciousness.

I drift in and out. The urge to phase has gone, leaving me broken and drained. Voices float around me and I struggle to understand what's going on.

"Take him back to his room." I recognize Marcus's irritated voice. "We'll go again tomorrow. I don't think your pet can take much more of this Edward."

My arms fall to my sides as I'm unhooked from the wall and I tumble onto the floor in a heap. Rough hands pull at me, trying to get me to stand, before a chilling voice cuts through the air.

"Get your fucking hands off him. I'll take him."

_Edward._

I hear muted arguing before cold, familiar hands lift me gently from the floor. I'm cradled in his arms, my head resting on his shoulder as I feel the pull to slip back under and into the blackness.

"I'm so fucking sorry." He whispers and places a soft kiss on my temple. I finally close my eyes. Marcus's echoing laughter is the last thing I hear before the blackness surrounds me.

**Edward**

As I carry Seth's bruised and battered body back to our cell my heart is breaking for him. His huge body is limp in my arms; the blood from his wounds soaks my arms and chest. Even with his accelerated healing I fear that the damage done is too great. I can hear the grating of his broken ribs as I move as gently as I can. I'm thankful that he's unconscious and not aware of the pain for now.

I hear the thoughts of the guards who flank me as I carry my precious burden down the dank corridors of Volterra. They're full of mockery and disgust – hatred for Seth and his kind, and disbelief that a vampire could ever see him as anything other than an animal. Well fuck them. Seth is good and kind and he has the biggest heart of anyone I've ever known.

Marcus's voice echoes in my head. _It__appears__that__our__guests__are__in__love_. And suddenly it's so obvious to me that he's right. I just hadn't seen it before.

I lay Seth down carefully as the door slams behind us and the locks click into place. I don't waste any time. I'm grateful for my medical knowledge, albeit limited, as I work on Seth as swiftly as I can. I need to treat his injuries before he comes around. If his bones need resetting it'll be agonizing for him if he's conscious. The last thing I want to do is cause him any more pain.

I check his ribs first. The breaks feel clean and thankfully there's little displacement so he's unlikely to have any internal injuries. I manipulate his ribs until the bones line up perfectly. I know that they'll knit together in a matter of hours.

I check his face next. He's badly cut and bruised but none of his bones are broken. One eye is black and puffy and his lip is swollen badly – he's almost unrecognizable. My body tingles with fury at what they've done to him. Using torn up scraps of my shirt and water from the bucket again, I clean his face as best I can, wiping away the drying blood while making sure not to pull at the edges of the cuts, which are already starting to knit together.

I don't dare roll him over and risk disrupting his ribs so I just hope that the cuts on his back from the lashes are clean and turn my attention to his chest instead.

The cruel stripes of the whip have left ugly gashes on Seth's previously flawless torso. They gape starkly, raw and ugly-pink against the golden brown of his skin in the flickering torchlight. As with the cuts on his face I clean them gently, letting the water trickle over his chest, wiping the blood away. I slowly move lower to treat the parallel lines on his belly and hips. The lowest mark makes me grind my teeth and a growl erupts from my throat that I'm incapable of controlling. The cut on top of his thigh extends across, through his pubic hair, and there's a dark red stripe across the base of his cock.

Marcus is a sick bastard. I want to tear him limb from limb. Controlling my rage I channel it into careful concentration, cleaning this wound with the lightest of touches as my anger burns inside me like a flame.

When I'm done tending to Seth's injuries I sit and pull his head into my lap. I don't dare hold him in my arms although I'd like to, because I can't risk moving his ribs until they've healed. I lay my cold hands on his face, hoping that the chill of my palms will ease the swelling and help him heal.

In this cell I have no idea whether it's day or night; it matters little to me anyway. As the hours pass, I try to stay focused on the hope of rescue and will Seth's body to mend itself.

XOXOXOX

The accelerated healing is an extraordinary process. Within hours I can see that the cuts on his body have closed and although the stripes are still pink, it is now the paler pink of new skin rather than raw flesh. Under my hands the bruising on his face is already fading and the swelling is nearly gone. He looks like Seth again. I smile in relief as I stroke his hair away from his forehead and let my fingers slide through his silky hair.

Finally I hear Seth's heart rate increase as he stirs and his head moves slightly in my lap.

"Lie still, Seth." I instruct him. "Don't move until I've checked your ribs, okay?"

His eyes flicker open and I see his thoughts settle into hopeless realization as he remembers where we are and why we're here. He nods, a tiny movement, and I support his head as I slide out from under it and lay it back gently, using what's left of my shirt as a pillow.

_I'm thirsty._

His thought is as clear as though he'd spoken aloud. So I reach for the bucket and cup my hands and scoop. I let the water trickle into his mouth through my fingers, his lips are hot under my hands. Some of the water misses his mouth and runs out at the sides. I wipe the wetness away with my fingers.

When he's done drinking I kneel beside him, pressing on his ribs as firmly as I dare, listening carefully for any sounds of bone grating. But there's nothing so I press harder. "How does that feel?"

"Good as new," his voice is hoarse and his grin is weak, but to see him smiling at all fills me with hope and a rush of emotion that makes my own voice break as I try and joke with him.

"You shifters are freaky." I smile back at him and he chuckles, his body vibrating with the warm sound.

"You're a fine one to talk Vamp-Boy."

We grin at each other for a moment and then he flushes and stiffens. I see his thoughts and struggle to control my revulsion and anger as he recalls Marcus touching his cock yesterday. Then I hear my own words in his head as he replays the memory. _Get__the__fuck__away__from__him_. The desperation and fury in my voice make me clench my fists as I remember how helpless I felt. I stare into Seth's dark brown eyes, unable to look away as he recalls the next few moments in the torture chamber.

"Is it true?" He whispers, his face taut with tension. "He could see... he said that _we__'__re_ in love. Not just me. Was he right?"

I seem to have lost the power of speech. At that moment I wish that he were the mind reader rather than me. I have no words to explain how I feel about him, to explain how my feelings for him have grown and evolved without me even noticing. I just nod my head and take his huge hand in mine, and lace our fingers together – hot and cold, brown and white.

_Show__me_.

He speaks to me silently and in his thoughts he shows me what he wants, how he wants me to touch him, and I'm shot through with a jolt of desire so powerful it makes me gasp.

"I'm afraid of hurting you," I hesitate. Mindful of my strength and the extent of his injuries.

"You won't," his voice is raw with desperation and I feel my resistance crumbling. "And if you do, I'll heal anyway. I _need_ you Edward. I need this."

He pulls on my hand and I crawl over his body, lowering myself carefully over his scarred chest as he spreads his legs around me. I take my weight on my arms and look down into his eyes one more time, wanting to be sure he's okay with this. As if in answer his hands thread into my hair and pull my mouth down to his.

The heat is shocking as his lips part and I feel his tongue meet mine. I'm careful with my teeth as we deepen the kiss, tasting each other and moaning into each other's mouths. I hear my name in his thoughts, repeated over and over. I kiss him harder.

His hands slide down from my hair, roaming over the hard, bare skin of my back and down to my hips. He pulls me down and presses up against me. I smell the scent of his arousal all around me as he grinds his hard cock against mine.

_Pants...__off,__now!_ I gasp out a laugh and pull away from his lips as I hear his unspoken command.

"There's no need to yell," I smirk as I move to kneel between his thighs and let him fumble with my fly. He pushes my pants and underwear down with his hands. I manage to kick them off and aside and move quickly back over him.

He radiates heat. I feel it caressing every inch of my body even where we aren't touching, and where our skin meets I feel it soaking into me, warming me like the sun on a hot day.

I lower my head and kiss him again. I carefully lick at the scar on his lip, feeling the difference in texture with my tongue. I move across to gently brush my lips over the mark on his cheekbone, the bruising around the cut still visible even in the dim light. I kiss his black eye tenderly, feeling his eyelashes flutter against my lips.

I move down his body now, sucking and licking at his neck. The strong beat of his pulse excites me and makes my cock ache, but I have no urge to feed despite the hunger that I feel having not hunted for days. Seth smells wonderful to me, all warm, musky heat and sex. Although I can smell the metallic scent of his blood all around us, it doesn't make my throat burn with thirst like the scent of human blood would. The hunger that Seth awakens in me is something entirely different.

I lick across his torso, tracing the lines of the whip with my tongue. I can taste traces of Seth's blood in my mouth as well as the salt of his sweat. He moans and twists his fingers into my hair, tugging gently and pulling my head lower. _God,_ _Edward...__I__need__your__mouth__on__me_. I smile against his skin as I let him guide me to where he wants me.

His cock is the hottest part of him. The skin is heated and silky-soft as I take him in my hand and look down in wonder. I slide my hand and watch the skin move, stretched tight over the hardness beneath. My mouth fills with venom at the concentrated scent of him and a bead of liquid is forced from the slit as I pump. His hands pull me down and my senses explode as I taste him for the first time, drawing his hot cock deep into the cool of my mouth.

This is all new to me and I can tell from Seth's thoughts that he's never done anything like this before either, but I have no doubt that he's enjoying it. I can tell from the tug of his hands in my hair, from the desperate sounds that he's making and from the relentless – _yes,__Edward,__yes_ – of his thoughts. I feel my own arousal building as I slide my lips and tongue up and down his cock, circling the base with my fingers to hold him upright for me. He starts to hitch his hips, thrusting up into my mouth and I let him, feeling the tension build in his thoughts and movements until his cock pulses hot in my mouth as he cums with a harsh cry. I taste him on my tongue, bitter and salty and I swallow hungrily as my own cock throbs with the need to be touched.

His body spasms and stills and his ragged breathing echoes around us. I let his cock slip from my mouth and he pulls me up, kissing me, searching for traces of his release in my mouth. His hand reaches for my cock and I shudder as he grips me tight.

_I__want__to__feel__you__inside__me_.

His thoughts are crystal clear as his tongue slides against mine. I moan and thrust into his hand as he sends me an image of our bodies fused together, his legs wrapped around my hips as we rock against each other.

I let my lips slide away from his mouth as his hand grips me tighter. "Oh, God, Seth!" I gasp into the skin of his neck. "I want that too."

**Seth**

When Edward's cold mouth wraps around my dick, I couldn't be more thankful for passing out when I did. If I'd stayed conscious I'm almost sure the damage caused would have been far greater and I wouldn't be enjoying the indescribable feeling of Edward sucking my cock.

I've dreamt of this moment every day for the past year or so, never actually thinking that I'd get to experience it. The feel of his cold, wet mouth on my overheated skin is so much better than I imagined and it feels like no time at all before I'm coming down his throat with a cry.

I watch with rapt fascination as he swallows it down. I've never seen anything more beautiful. I drag him up my body and kiss him hard, my cock stirring back to life as I taste myself on his tongue.

I need him inside me and I don't hesitate to tell him, showing him in my mind exactly what I want. I reach for his cock and grip him tight as he pushes into my hand and whispers that he wants it too.

_Fuck._

My cock is standing proud again as I repeat his words over and over in my head.

_He wants it too. _

I've never done this before, and I know for a fact that Edward hasn't either, but I suspect he's looking for me to take the lead. I reach for his hand and bring it slowly to my lips, stroking him hard as I slip his fingers into my mouth.

He gasps at the feeling and pushes his cock further into my hand. I suck on his long cool fingers, running my tongue all over them so they're nice and wet. Not taking my eyes off of his, I release him from my mouth and gently push him back until he's kneeling between my legs.

He watches closely as I take his hand and guide it towards my ass, resting his fingers against my hole. He tentatively strokes around the edges, teasing me until I begin to writhe and squirm under his touch.

"Edward, please." I moan, pushing against him and almost forcing the tip of a finger to slip inside.

"I don't want to hurt you," he whispers, still full of concern as his eyes drop down to watch what he's doing. "You've been hurt so much already." His voice falters a little and I know I need to take control before he talks himself out of it.

"You won't hurt me," I say, reaching up to cup his cheek. "I want this, I want you inside me to make all this..." I gesture to the fading pink lines across my chest. "To make all _this_ disappear. Please."

With a determined look in his eyes he leans forward and kisses me, while one of his slick fingers slides slowly into my ass. I moan into his mouth as he tentatively moves it in and out. The coolness of his skin soothes the slight burn caused by his finger, and I know then that this will be okay. I want him more than anything and I'm positive that any discomfort will be erased by the feeling of Edward inside me; _finally,_just as I've wanted for so long.

His finger is gliding in and out easily now and I want more, so I tell him. He looks a little nervous at the thought. I know he doesn't want to hurt me, but I need him to trust me when I tell him that I'll be okay.

_So much more than okay, Edward._

He pulls back to look at me, nodding to tell me that he understands, and finally, _finally,_ I see all the doubt and hesitancy disappear, to be replaced by lust and..._love._

His eyes darken, he licks his lips, and he pushes another finger inside me.

"Oh, fuck!" I cry, unable to hold it in.

He doesn't falter this time, his fingers thrusting into my ass, hard and fast. I let go of his cock and pull his head back towards me, kissing him for all I'm worth. I push against his hand, my toes curl at the feeling of him inside me. It's so fucking good, and I can only imagine what it'll be like to have his cock in me.

My mind screams out for more and he needs no further instruction, adding a third cool finger and thrusting his tongue in my mouth at the same time. I'm lost in sensation, writhing under his touch with reckless abandon. His body is hard against mine, his hard cock sliding along my hip seeking out any type of friction he can find. I feel a familiar tightening in my groin and I know I can't wait any longer.

_I need you inside me, right-the-fuck-now!_

He withdraws his fingers immediately, causing me to gasp at the loss. Before I have chance to react he kneels up and straddles my chest, his cock tantalizingly close to my lips. Taking hold of himself, he pushes the head against my mouth.

"Suck me, Seth," he almost pleads, looking down at me with jet black eyes. "Prepare me for you." I shiver in anticipation, opening wide for him.

He gently enters my mouth, not going too far before pulling back. I want to taste more of him, so I grab his hips, drawing him back in. He throws his head back, closing his eyes as he moans out my name. I run my tongue around the head of his cock and he cries out before jerking back sharply away from me.

I stare at him, my mouth still hanging open, worried that I've done something wrong; until he grins at me. "You're too hot for your own good. It was very nearly over before we got started."

"Oh," I say, returning his grin.

He shuffles back down my body and I know this is it. I spread my legs further, opening myself up completely. He slips his hands around my thighs, lining himself up with my ass.

"Marcus was right," he says, raising his head to look at me. His eyes dance with excitement and his lips curve up into a small smile. "I am in love with you."

My breath catches and my heart swells with happiness as I stare into his eyes. He pauses for a moment longer before nudging his cock against my opening and I bite my lip as he forces his way inside. Although he's wet from my saliva, it's no substitute for lube and I grit my teeth as he pushes deeper. It hurts at first, despite the coolness of his skin, but I wouldn't change this moment for anything. It's raw and primal and is exactly what we need after the horror that we've endured in the past few days.

"Fuck, Seth," he whispers as his hips are finally flush with my ass. He has a look of wonder on his face as he stares at our joined bodies. He stills, allowing me to adjust to the intrusion, his hand reaching up to stroke my cheek. "You feel so, so good."

I breathe deeply, relaxing around him and letting his cool body gradually soothe mine. I feel the burn subside and move my hips, telling him that I'm ready. He leans down to kiss me; it's quick but full of intent as he starts to move.

He sits up and pulls out slowly, sliding back into my ass with long measured strokes. I grip onto his thighs as he slowly increases his pace.

_Oh shit... oh shit... harder..._

He slams against me, answering my thoughts with thrust after powerful thrust as he allows his instincts to take over. His fingers dig into my skin as he starts to lose control. I welcome the marks that I know he's going to leave on my skin. They'll fade soon enough, but not before erasing every other mark that's come before them.

I don't want this to ever end, but I can already feel the deep warmth of my impending release sweeping through my body again, down my spine and settling in my balls. I lick my palm, making it nice and wet before wrapping it tightly around my cock, sliding my hand up and down as Edward pounds into me.

"Oh fuck... gonna cum..." I cry, seconds before releasing in hot spurts all over my stomach and chest.

As I ride out my orgasm, my ass pulsing around him, Edward lets go of my thighs and buries his fingers deep into the flagstone floor. It protests under his hands, deep cracks appearing all around us. He grinds his hips against me one last time before he shudders, yells out my name and spills inside me, flakes of powdered stone filling the air around us.

Silence fills the room as we both bask in the afterglow of what was, for me, the best moment of my entire life. I feel a slight twinge of hurt as I realize that this won't be quite the same for Edward considering he's already found and lost his mate. I force those thought away, not wanting to ruin the moment by bringing up painful memories for him. But it's too late, he's already seen.

"Don't, Seth." He whispers, leaning down to kiss me softly. "Yes, loving Bella and having my daughter _are_ some of the very best moments of my life. But this," he sweeps a hand down our bodies, gesturing to where we still remained joined. "This is right up there with them."

I feel the tears as they spill over and slide down my cheeks, but I'm helpless to stop them. The last few days have made me an emotional wreck and I can't control my reactions. He places light kisses along my skin, following the tears and catching each one with his lips.

"Fuck, I love you so much." I say. My voice is shaky as I struggle to calm down.

"I love you, too," he replies, and I sigh, feeling a flush of contentment despite our grim surroundings.

Eventually, he gently pulls back a little and slips out of me. I can't help but groan at the empty feeling he leaves behind, but when he gathers me in his arms and I rest my head on his chest, I feel nothing but peace. For the first time since we've been here, I relax, and my eyes start to close.

"Sleep now, Seth."

Soft kisses and whispered words ease me into a deep and satisfied sleep.

**Edward**

I hold Seth in my arms and feel his body relax against me as he slips deeper into sleep. His warm breath whispers over the marble skin of my chest and his comforting, familiar scent fills my nostrils as I idly run my fingers through his hair.

I try and calculate how long we've been here, but in the darkness of the Volterra dungeons the days and nights are indistinguishable. I just pray that we'll be rescued soon. I doubt my ability to control myself if I have to watch them torture Seth again; the urge to protect him is even stronger now that there is this new bond between us. I fear that my reactions to another round of torture will make the Volturi kill us both.

He stirs in my arms and mumbles in his sleep. I hush him and stroke the skin of his back and shoulders gently until he settles and his breathing slows again. I feel the scars under my fingertips and am filled with remembered pain and hatred.

I tighten my arms around him and allow my head to dip, my lips brush the top of his head and I find myself smiling at the irony of this situation. It's strange to think that I have the Volturi to thank for this second chance at love. If it weren't for Marcus's gift and for the horror that they've put us through, Seth and I may never have found out that there was the potential for this new and exciting hope that's blossoming between us. If we survive this and go on to have a future together then everything that we've endured here will be worth it. But that doesn't mean that I don't want to see Marcus's existence ended for what he's done.

Soon, I tell myself. Our families will be here soon, they have to be. They will know where we've been taken and it's only a matter of time before they catch up to us and work out a way to get in. The Volturi may be powerful but no fortress is impenetrable and with the combined forces of my family and Seth's pack I have faith that they will get us out.

I find myself wondering how our families will react to the change in our relationship. Alice won't have been able to see it. She'll have been blind to everything that has happened with us because of Seth's nature. It still frustrates her endlessly that the wolves blur the future for everyone that they're involved with.

A vampire and a shifter. I shake my head gently as I smile against Seth's hair. I sure like to make things complicated for myself. At least Seth's bigger and tougher than human Bella was, and less appetizing from a feeding point of view. But still – it's not necessarily going to be easy being with him.

I'm sure that my family will be accepting, glad that I've found someone who can make me happy again. They all see Seth as a trusted friend and have grown very fond of him. The pack is another matter though. Some of them still view my kind with distrust and may not be accepting. The alpha will be the key, and Jake's opinion will also count for a lot. I think that Jake will be on our side so I hope that eventually I'll be able to win them over. Having seen the depth of Seth's feelings for me I feel confident that he won't let anyone or anything keep us apart now that we've found each other.

My thoughts drift aimlessly now as I relax under Seth's warm body and listen to the sound of his heartbeat as I wait for him to wake again.

Sometime later, the sound of distant commotion puts me instantly in a state of alertness. I stiffen, ready to move as I listen carefully and cast my mind out – seeking to pick up the thoughts and intent from the space beyond our cell. I hear shouting but there are lots of people yelling at once, along with deep growls and snarls and it's hard to pick out individual voices. I pick up Marcus's thoughts first and feel a thrill of savage joy when I hear the fear that floods through his mind like icy water.

I scan wider and flit through the thoughts of many people. It feels like flicking through different stations when you turn the dial on an old-fashioned radio. I hear Carlisle, Alice... my family. And then I hear the wolves. They can smell the blood of their brother and their anger is terrible. I shiver with anticipation as I tune back into Marcus and hear the terror that colors his incoherent thoughts.

"Seth," I speak urgently, shaking him gently. He stirs and clings to me, his thoughts blurry with sleep. "Seth," I repeat, my voice louder. "They're here, they've come for us."

He lifts his head and his dark eyes are full of hope and relief. I pull him roughly into me, kissing his lips briefly before I let him go. We stand, suddenly conscious of our nudity and I see his cheeks flush as he stares at me. His thoughts are clear, full of love and remembered passion.

We both hear a scream and a sickening snap, and the thread of Marcus's panicked thoughts is cut off abruptly.

"That was the end of Marcus," I say grimly. I feel no guilt at all for the pleasure I feel in knowing that he's been destroyed. Death alone is too good for him; I would have liked to make him suffer first.

I grab my bloodstained pants and pull them on to cover myself and then I turn back to Seth. Looking into his eyes, I reach for the metal collar that's still tight around his neck and rip it away. He smiles at me, his beauty radiant as he lifts his wrists and offers them to me. I tear off the shackles that bind them and stoop to free his ankles. He's already quivering with tension as the last one comes off and I stand back and watch in awe as he ripples and shifts in a burst of glorious energy. The huge light brown wolf stands before me and shows me his teeth as he grins.

_I love you._

He steps forward and licks my face messily and I tangle my fingers into the fur at the scruff of his neck as I chuckle and tug him towards the door.

"Come on," I say, as I wrench the door off its hinges. "Our families are waiting. It sounds as though there are still some left for us."

**The End**

**A/N: Thank you for reading. I hope you enjoyed it, please leave feedback.**

**This is the prompt we were writing for:**

**The Whipping Boy. AU, Wolf/Vamp Slash. Ed and Seth are captured by the Volturi. Seth is tortured whenever Edward refuses to obey an order. Graphic torture (remember shifter's rapid healing) and hurt/comfort sex between Ed/Seth. Feel free to include sexy Dom/sub action with a male Volturi (Marcus Please), but Ed and Seth should be the focus of the fic. HEA not required, but love would be appreciated. **

**You can read the other submissions as they are posted over on the C2 page: www(dot)fanfiction(dot)net/community/Twilight_Kink_Fest_Stories/96302/**

**For those who were wondering I wrote Seth and Fr333bird wrote Edward.**


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